Jaew Hon

⭐ One Star – Worst Dining Experience We’ve Had in a Long Time

We came as a family of four adults and one 6-month-old baby. We expected a relaxing dinner, but instead we ended up feeling stressed, rushed, and honestly — disrespected.

❌ What went wrong:
• The entrance is filled with CASH ONLY signs and a “store policy” written in text so tiny it’s nearly impossible to read.
• It’s AYCE, but there’s a time limit that they never mentioned until halfway through the meal.
• We were repeatedly rushed by staff even though there were NO people waiting for a table.
• The second round of meat was much poorer quality and came in larger portions — it felt like they intentionally wanted us to leave food so they could charge extra.
• They tried to charge $25 for leftovers, and still wouldn’t allow us to take it to-go.
• The most outrageous part? They attempted to charge a service fee for our 6-month-old baby, who was held the entire time and received zero service.

⚠️ Final Thoughts

This wasn’t just disappointing — it was frustrating and unfair.
We will never return, and we strongly advise others to think twice before dining here.
“Customers deserve transparency and respect – unfortunately, we experienced neither here.”

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Food is decent. Staff are dishonest and forced a gratuity while my party only had 4 people even though the menu said 5. I would have tipped regardless, but it’s just not good practice of them. Place is pretty cramped, not the ideal environment to get your food at the bar yet there’s a bar…

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 3

Service: 1

I still can't believe it happened to us. Among all the staff, only the man in the photo I’ve attached below treated us disrespectfully. The other employees were polite and nice. After we paid and were getting ready to leave, he came over, threw the bill on our table, and asked why we only tipped 10%. He then questioned whether there was something wrong with their service.

We calmly explained that the food came out very slowly and that our order had been mixed up. The restaurant’s minimum tip is 20%, we didn’t feel that was reasonable under the circumstances. Honestly, a 10% tip is not that low to be treated like this. But instead of listening, he raised his voice and publicly humiliated 4 of us in front of the entire restaurant. We stayed calm and spoke politely, but his responses were extremely rude.

One of my friends said, “I thought tipping was optional,” and he said “If tipping is optional, then our service is optional too.” I was stunnef like...what do you mean your service is optional? It’s literally your job. I wanted to say that, but I was too shocked to respond. Even now, I’m still in shock.

He then repeated “Please don’t come here again” at least ten times and kicked us out of the restaurant.

Unfortunately, I had stupidly left my jacket behind and realized it shortly after we left, so I had to go back to take it. My friends came with me and filmed a short clip. We stayed silent while picking up the jacket, but he wouldn’t leave us alone,he kept repeating “Please don’t come here again.” My friend couldn’t hold it in anymore and cursed at him, as seen in the video, and we left.

Our total bill was $160, so a 20% tip would’ve been $32—which, frankly, was not deserved. I honestly wish I could take back the 10% we did leave, because he didn’t deserve even $1.

I had already noticed his bad attitude when we first arrived. He cleared our dishes loudly and aggressively. The dining time limit was 3 hours, and we still had 30 minutes left, but he came over and told us we had only 10 minutes left and had to leave. I’m sure we didn’t waste much food, but he still accused us of leaving too many leftovers and said, “There won’t be a next time.”

All of this happened before we even paid.

I’ve thought carefully about whether we were being disruptive or did anything wrong, but I truly believe we didn’t. And even if we had, his behavior was completely unprofessional and disrespectful. He acted like he owned the place. The other staffs were still very nice to us, so I honestly don’t know what his issue was.

I hope the restaurant owner sees this and addresses his behavior. I really wish I had recorded the entire incident, especially the part where he yelled and tried to humiliate us in front of a full restaurant.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 4

Service: 1

My first time trying hot pot and man what an amazing experience!! Such a great atmosphere and amazing food!! The Jaew Hon broth was superb and the sauces for the soup and bbq were phenomenal!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I felt like I was in my hometown.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

6 of us went out for dinner to celebrate my girlfriends birthday last night. What an experience. The food was amazing and the server was exceptional. One of our group has food allergies so the server checked the ingredients in the hot sauces and brought a special mango salad for him. This is what dining should be all about. Great food, friendly attentive staff, and a fun atmosphere.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The tall male waiter is unprofessional. After finding this place I brought many friends, my brother, and my boyfriend here on numerous occasions and it is usually a decent experience. They accept only cash so when we plan to go, we always try to come with at least $50 cash per person. The last time I went with my boyfriend and brother after participating in a marathon. We did not plan to go out but we wanted to celebrate our achievement before heading home and knew we had enough for the bill. We paid and I told the female waiter who collected our check to not return with change and we gave almost all the cash we had, except for my last $20 to make sure my little brother could get home. The male waiter came to our table and loudly said “In New York, standard tip is 20% and you tipped 11%“. So i gave him my last $20 and told him not to bring me the change. he then said ”but now this is too much“. I did not mind overtipping because I knew that was the last time I would ever be dining at Jaew Hon because to shame a customer like that in front of others is rude and unprofessional and unwelcoming. Especially when I was a repeat customer. You never know what someone is going through and while I understand tipping is controversial in the United States, I am happy to tip but the way he handled it was aggressive and will lose them customers. If you like hotpot and kind service go to Hometown, Gangnam, or even Spring Shabu Shabu instead. They are bigger, have more options, and are more professional.

I wish that never happened so I could feel comfortable returning to Jaew Hon but unfortunately I do not.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 1

I’ve been to this hotpot place a few times over the years, but after my latest visit, I won’t be coming back. The service has gone downhill significantly, and the prices have skyrocketed since our last visit.

What really pushed us over the edge was how the staff treated us at the end of our meal. After paying, they bullied my friends and me to send them an additional tip via Zelle something we’ve never had to do before ANYWHERE. We were already surprised by how much more expensive everything was, and they only take cash so their tip would’ve been substantial if the prices were the same as last time visited. Will never come back nor recommend to anyone

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

me and my partner have been coming here for a few years now, celebrated our anniversary here. Food is great and always hits the spot-but they force a tip on the customer. Explained to the manager that at the time I didn’t have much change to leave a proper tip, proceded on telling us in NY state it’s a mandatory 15% tip because “we clean after you and serve you.” He told us we’re not welcomed back anymore, and no one will serve us. Disappointed but not surprised.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 3

The staff treats first-timers like returning friends. Workers exhibited courtesy and I was completely content. The food tastes fresh, is well made, and reasonably priced. Great taste and portions satisfy hunger. I prefer eating here. This place delivers impressive service.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

This was my first experience with Thai hot pot, and it did not disappoint. The broth was rich and flavorful, with the perfect balance of tangy and spicy notes. The garlic fried rice was an excellent addition, and the freshness of the meats and vegetables really stood out. And of course, you can't forget the classic Thai iced tea--it was the perfect complement to the meal.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Thai Hot Pot

This restaurant is delicious, but the staff force customers to pay a 20% tip, which should be appropriate for the customer. I feel disappointed with the staff who are quite pushy

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 2

This Thai hot pot spot in Queens is a hidden gem! The price is great and the food is super tasty. The variety is impressive, with plenty of fresh meat and seafood options. The highlight for me is the yen-ta-fo soup — it’s the real star! Packed with flavor and perfectly balanced. Everything tastes fresh and authentic. Definitely one of my favorite spots for a comforting, delicious meal!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

It's just different for me from other hotpot l been to. I found it small and limited on what was offered. They are very specific on time since they have little accommodation and have to turn them over quickly.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 3

This was an unbelievable experience! The sauces that come with the appetizers and lasted through much of the meal were extraordinary. I just loved every single thing we ordered. One of the best meals of the year already.